CERCLL offered a series of professional development webinars for language educators over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year, in which presenters brought newer, multiliteracies approaches to address traditional topics in language teaching.

 

Click on the titles below to access the recordings, slides and resources for the webinars in this series.

You can also view all the recordings in our YouTube webinar playlist

 

Kate Paesani

Kate Paesani

(University of Minnesota)

Using Language Forms to Communicate About Texts: A Multiliteracies Perspective

 

This webinar challenges the common misconception that multiliteracies pedagogy and the instruction of language forms are incompatible. To do so, we consider grammar and vocabulary as textual resources that prepare learners to work with texts, help them understand how texts are constructed, and improve their ability to communicate about texts. Using the four knowledge processes of multiliteracies pedagogy as a framework, we discuss how to adapt and enhance your existing toolkit of grammar and vocabulary activities to infuse language forms throughout text-based lessons.

Some of what attendees told us they found most beneficial about this webinar:

I found the aspect of how to communicate meaning to engage learners really useful. In addition, building knowledge, doing interpretative analysis and how knowledge processing can be used in the class caught my attention in the webinar.

The clear distinction between language forms needed for interpretation vs. language forms used within the text to communicate meanings was really helpful. I also appreciated the explicit focus on what those forms could look like for the two texts presented. And, I just loved the comparison between what we currently tend to do in language classrooms and what small tweaks we need to make in order to be working toward developing multiliteracies. That was so helpful and I’m going to use this with teachers.

The structure, the interactive elements, Paesani is knowledgeable and engaging.

In this webinar, Dr. Shufflebarger shares multiliteracies approaches to incorporating poetry and creative texts into any classroom. Drawing from K-12, university, and community-based adult language contexts, she will review the theoretical underpinnings of incorporating poetry into language classrooms, share a variety of instructional activities, and discuss strategies for organizing activities within a broader course curriculum. Participants will be invited to share ideas and practices they incorporate into their own teaching contexts.

Amanda Shufflebarger

Amanda Shufflebarger

(Indiana University East)

Poetry and Creative Texts in Any Language Classroom

 

I liked the presenter’s examples of poetry use in the classroom. They demonstrated how poetry can be about the form, content, and connections to the world.

Amanda is so erudite! Her samples of actual work with students, coupled with her detailed understanding and explanation of the theory and philosophy of pedagogy made me confident to make steps in this direction. I’ve been yearning to use poetry in my classes but have not felt confident to do so. After this webinar, I have some ideas!

The redesigning of poetry in the classroom. Also, how students will be exposed to different topics at the same time while focusing on one single text.